Chapter 685 - Chapter 685. My Baby!

Liu Shu was baffled, flabbergasted, utterly flummoxed! Aionthra's words were extremely surprising. However, who was our Liu Shu? A tree who adored babies, especially her own!

"Baby? My baby?" All the fear, caution, and confusion she held toward Aionthra disappeared in a flash, and a moment later, her roots dug into the and rushed toward Aionthra. 

The 100-meter-tall woman was startled. 'Did I anger her with my teasing?' 

When she was about to reach for her crystal staff, she heard an extremely soft, adoring, and gentle exclamation from the World Tree. 

"My baby!" 

Aionthra froze, and Liu Shu's roots arrived, coiling around her body while patting her head. "Hehehe. Hello, baby! Sorry for being unable to reach out to you before! Mommy was busy Leveling Up, so I couldn't reach out to you." 

While fondling her big baby with endless love, she asked worriedly. "Did someone come to bully you? Sorry for summoning you as a , baby. You'll probably have to suffer a bit in the future when people gain enough strength to challenge and defeat you. Tell me if you ever feel burdened, and Mommy will do her best to make you feel better!" 

Aionthra, a woman with an innate imperial elegance, was completely stumped when she was hugged by her "mother's" roots. She didn't know how to answer, so she remained silent. 

Liu Shu, completely ignoring Aionthra's complex expression, continued asking her question. "How have you spent these last years? Have you eaten well? Do you even need to eat? Perhaps you don't even need to sleep! Well, I can't really give items, but I can detach some of my roots. You can at least cook them if you lack some food! Also…"

"W-Wait!" Aionthra stopped Liu Shu's barrage. "That… Um. Master, you know that I am not truly your daughter, right?" 

Liu Shu patted Aionthra's butt with her roots rather strongly. "What are you saying now!? You were born from mixing part of myself into you, right? What is that if not my baby! I even asked the a moment ago, and it told me that only you received such an advantage. Compared with the others who absorbed only my Eternal Energy, who other than you is even qualified to call themselves my baby!?" 

Aionthra was speechless. She had expected many ways her conversation with her creator could go, but she had never expected to have her ass slapped in the first few minutes! 

Looking at the bewildered face of the incredibly elegant empress-like woman, Liu Shu squealed loudly. "You are so beautiful, Aionthra! Hehe, of course, my baby has inherited her mom's beauty~. Ughh… It's a shame that I can't hold you with my Avatar. Although… Hm. You are quite tall, so my Avatar would be as petite as your nail! Haha."

Aionthra, hugged by Liu Shu's roots and feeling the genuine care and love from the World Tree, felt somewhat flustered. Still, beyond that flusteredness, there was a strange sense of warmth and comfort. 

After a moment of hesitation, she glanced at the roots coiling around her. Then, she tentatively reached out and patted them. 

Liu Shu, who had been observing her change of expressions and emotions, felt her heart swell with joy. "That's right! Those are Mommy's roots. Are they soft? Are they warm?" 

Aionthra battled her rising feelings only for a second before she relaxed her tensed body. She hummed quietly. "Mhm." 

The soft hum made Liu Shu squeeze her a little bit tighter with a laugh. "I am glad." Then she sighed again and spoke softly. "I never expected you to be born as a . Your responsibility is to… well… be defeated eventually. Do you resent Mommy?"

Aionthra exhaled, completely leaving her body in the care of the comfortable roots. Their massage, gentle patting, and soft, warm texture of the roots made her feel a strange sense of comfort. 

"I don't, Master."

"Call me Mom! Or Mommy~. Hm… Mama is not that bad either. Hehe." 

Aionthra squinted, leaning back and completely relaxing. Even then, the sense of elegance and royalty in her body didn't disappear. She just looked like an empress resting in a place where she felt safe. 

After hesitating only for a moment, Aionthra chuckled and spoke. "Mother, there is no need to worry about me. Not to mention…" Looking at her own , Aionthra smirked. "I am quite strong." 

"Mother…?" Liu Shu pouted. "So formal… so stiff…" Before Aionthra could change it, she heard Liu Shu speak again with a soft tone. "But, if that's the way that you find most comfortable to call me, then it's the best of them all." 

What Aionthra was going to say got stuck in her throat, and she couldn't help but look at the roots around her with a softened look. Her previous aloof and imperial amethyst-colored eyes were now soft and peaceful. "Thank you, Mother." 

"No need to thank me." Liu Shu answered with a happy laugh. "So, baby, why did you call me? I was very surprised when you did!" 

Aionthra traced the roots with her fingers and answered relaxedly. "I just… wanted to know my Ma…" She paused and then smiled. "My mother. I wanted to know you, Mother." 

"That's so sweeeeet!" Liu Shu squealed, using her roots to ruffle her emerald-like hair until it was completely messed up. Aionthra didn't care, and even with her hair ruffled, she didn't look disheveled; instead, there was now a wild charm to her elegance, making Liu Shu exclaim. "Wow~, you are pretty even with hair like that! Impressive, impressive. Are you sure you don't have a Hidden Title that increases your beauty?" 

Aionthra chuckled. "Not that I know of." She then joked. "I guess the genes are doing the heavy lifting." 

Liu Shu instantly turned her nose to the skies. "Of course! I am super pretty as well, you know? With my beauty, how can my baby be bad-looking?" 

While she said that, Liu Shu used her roots to gently comb through Aionthra's hair and fix the messed-up hair. Such gentle care was something Aionthra had not felt in her long life. After all, the Dungeon's quality made time inside pass by much faster. So, while she had been "alive" for three years from Liu Shu's perspective, several centuries had gone by inside the palace. 

Liu Shu also knew this, and her voice became softer. "Was it lonely, baby?" 

Aionthra shook her head. She, as someone who represented the sins of Pride and Lust, was extremely comfortable in solitude. Lust didn't just allude to the quality of sexual promiscuity. Lust, as a sin, encompasses so much more. Lust for power, lust for riches, lust for affection… The Sin of Lust represented an intense desire that yielded only to Greed and Envy. 

In Aionthra's case, as the controller of these two powerful Sins, her physique was almost infallible. Not to mention, she would also make those who challenged her face those sins. 

In truth, with her current power, even if Liu Shu were able to participate in the raid with her main body, Aionthra would most likely remain victorious. 

She was, without a shred of doubt, The Strongest Boss Monster under Liu Shu. Even Vorathen, the , not the Planet, fell a step behind her. Vorathen, who represented Greed and Gluttony, would only become stronger than Aionthra under the condition of ample prey to swallow before the confrontation. 

Liu Shu, having lost absolutely all reservations toward this incredible baby of hers, spoke about everything going on in her life. She even recounted her own life from the beginning, bringing Aionthra up to date. 

Since she didn't want to rush things, Liu Shu recounted things slowly and even asked Aionthra about her opinions and such. 

Meanwhile, the was feeling somewhat confused. Of course, it didn't intervene with Liu Shu's actions. She was not increasing the 's strength through external means, after all. 

Giving wisdom and knowledge was completely fine within the rules of the . 

"Hey, System."

While it checked things, the heard Liu Shu call. 

[Dungeon System: Is there anything I can do for you, Tianlian Liu Shu?]

"Yeah." Liu Shu spoke. "Can you stop the accelerated time within Aionthra's domain until there are challengers? I mean, it might even save up some energy, right?" 

The paused and pondered. 

[Dungeon System: That's possible. Are you sure you want to do that? won't gain wisdom and intelligence as quickly if she is out of the accelerated time attribute.]

"What wisdom will my Baby gain when she is trapped in this castle!?" Liu Shu retorted angrily. "Also, allow her to see the outside. Don't worry, my baby is super obedient and won't breach the . Just let her share views throughout my domain so that she is not bored." 

[Dungeon System: Understood.] 

Aionthra, as a , was not under Liu Shu's limitations. As a created by it, she knew perfectly that this realm was Liu Shu's. Hence, the would not respond to her awareness that it belonged to Liu Shu. 

Hearing the conversation between the system and Liu Shu, Aionthra was slightly overwhelmed. She had not expected her Mother to act so decisively. While she was not bored here and felt peaceful, she would be lying if she said that she didn't have curiosity about what the outside looked like. 

Now, with her time synchronized with Liu Shu, her centuries of solitude had come to an end, opening a new chapter for the powerful empress. She, who walks between seconds, would spend her time with her mother from then on. 

"Let's see…" 

Curious, she poked her senses out, gently piercing the layer of the , and soon, she was able to see not a hint, but the entirety of the landscape without problems. The first thing she looked at was, of course, Liu Shu. 

Her eyes widened faintly. "Heavens… You are even larger than the replica within my trial. And… much more beautiful." 

She was sincere here. Liu Shu, who now resembled a Heavenly Pillar that connected the earth and the sky, was nothing less than majestic. Her perfectly defined female body, incredibly long and lush green hair, sky-blotting canopy, and gorgeous facial features gave her the looks of a Nature Goddess living among mortals. 

Liu Shu was naturally delighted at her new baby's praise! Then, she heard Aionthra speak, her tone calculating and with a hint of killing intent. "I wonder… if I will ever be able to leave… can I go and exterminate that annoying nexus filth that's bothering Mother?" 

Liu Shu, who had promised that Aionthra was a very obedient child: "..."

The , which had already started to regret giving Aionthra her current permissions:

[Dungeon System: …] 

[Dungeon System: Should I revoke her permission?]

"Ahem. Don't. My baby is obedient, I promise." 

Her words, spoken confidently, carried absolutely no convincing power to either of them. However, would Liu Shu prohibit her baby from having fun? Over her dead body!